The aromas that get trapped in an airplane flying 20,000 feet in the air are a standard issue frequent fliers have come to expect when traveling. Passenger body odor, excessive perfumes and odd-smelling food souvenirs are the kind of smelly stuff travelers grin and bear when flying. Toxic fumes, however, are another thing all together. Exposure to toxic fumes created by commercial airplanes can cause memory loss, headaches, vomiting and visual impairment. In July of 2009, Terry Williams filed a product liability lawsuit against Boeing and McDonnell Douglas claiming that a “fume event” which occurred on an American Airlines plane caused him migraines and other health issues. Williams, a flight attendant for more than 15 years, was told by doctors that she had inhaled toxic fumes and the lack of filters aboard the plane left her unprotected from the deadly odor. Throughout the years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been plagued with increasing complaints of toxic fume exposure aboard commercial flights.
Last month, a similar lawsuit was filed by a woman who claims that fumes aboard an American Airlines flight actually caused her to have stroke. Vida Chenier claims that while she was a passenger abroad American Airlines Flight 2073 from Chicago’s O’Hare airport to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 26, 2008, toxic fumes contaminated the cabin through the plane’s ventilation system. Chenier experienced oxygen deprivation while aboard the plane and she developed a chronic cough and painful headache. Three days later, Chenier’s health worsened, according to the lawsuit, and she began coughing up blood. Finally, on April 4, 2008, Vida Chenier suffered a near-fatal stroke. The lawsuit alleges that American Airlines failed to protect its passengers against the toxic fumes by not installing toxic fume sensor equipment on the aircraft.
She is seeking $50,000 in damages to cover medical expenses. While no trial date has been set, American Airlines has remained silent during allegations of unwelcome toxic fumes aboard any of their planes.
